Category: Featured

I recently took on a major new project, and getting it off the ground has consumed a lot of my energy. I landed this project unexpectedly, and though it was welcome, it upended my neat, organized life, disrupting my carefully planned schedule and interrupting all of my routines. And mind you, there was still all the regular stuff … you know, laundry, cleaning, family responsibilities, church work, other projects, staying connected to people I love, etc., etc., etc., etc.

Before I knew it, I was overwhelmed. I became so fearful that I was going to drop some really big ball that I started obsessing. (Yeah, I know that Scripture about not having the spirit of fear, but in the moment, well, let’s just say that that wasn’t the Scripture I was quoting.) And for me, obsessing means working overtime – mentally and physically – trying to control every little and big thing. And working overtime means no sleep. And a sista is cranky when she doesn’t get her eight hours!

After my third night of tossing and turning, list-making, and schedule planning, I decided that there was no way I was gonna win this battle, and, on the path I was on, this project was gonna get the best of me. Well, I am a daughter of the King and I refuse to be defeated!

So I did what I should have done in the first place: Acknowledge that the God I love and serve is the One Who is ultimately in control of everything. Release all my concerns and fretting to Jehovah-Jireh, the One Who Provides. Trust that He is working out everything for my good (Romans 8:28). And praise Him in advance for provision, solution, direction, and favor.

And you know what? Just like that, I got my peace back. My spirit calmed. My soul was soothed. And in less than 24 hours, I got confirmation that help was on the way. A door that had been shut suddenly reopened. I could see a clear path ahead. And, most of all, I got my eight hours.

The lesson: You and God can’t both be in control. So just acknowledge that God, the Creator of Heaven and Earth, the Lover of your soul, is better at steering the ship than you are. So just let go and let God do what God does best. And love and adore God because God loves and adores you enough to make everything, everything little and big thing, work for your good. And God can accomplish this because he is in control of everything.

May God bless your week.

The Affordable Healthcare Act – AKA Obamacare – has generated lots of talk about what kinds of benefits employees can, should, might, and don’t offer.  Seems to me that at the root of all this is the central concern about how a company treats its employees.

Like most folks, I’ve worked at a few different places in my life.  And one of the first questions I ask when considering a new employer is: what benefits do you offer?  These days, every company seems to offer something different.  Some offer a pension plan, some don’t.  Some give free lunch.  Some give transportation passes.  Some give two weeks vacation, some give four.  There’s no set standard for what an employer has to offer its employees; it’s completely up to them and the offerings can vary widely.

But life in the company of God is another story.  He’s the ultimate employer.  His benefit plan is the “top-of-the-line” best, and it never changes.  And you don’t have to worry about His company going out of business – it was founded way before the Year of the Flood and shows no sign of slowing down.  Economic downturns, inflation, recessions, depressions are of no consequence to Kingdom enterprises, and don’t affect what benefits He offers to His folks.  And, best of all, once you join the company, the potential for promotion is endless.

The Message Bible says it best:  O my soul, bless God. From head to toe, I’ll bless his holy name!  O my soul, bless God, don’t forget a single blessing!  He forgives your sins – every one.  He heals your diseases—every one.  He redeems you from hell—saves your life!  He crowns you with love and mercy—a paradise crown.  He wraps you in goodness—beauty eternal.  He renews your youth—you’re always young in his presence.  Psalm 103:1-5 (The Message)

 

I’m gonna date myself here – but I’m part of the “you’ve come a long way baby” generation.  “You can have it all,” they said.  That was supposed to represent the new power our generation had – to be able to do it all, be it all, and have it all.  (Still not sure what the “it” is, but I digress.)

It was years before I realized that “having it all” was a lie  . . .  a lie that our society tells us in order to disguise the true power that lies in choice.  Stop for a moment and think about it: you just can’t have everything.  It’s not possible.  You have to choose.  You can’t eat dessert all day long and be a size 6 – not gonna happen . . .  Not unless you’re eating dessert on the treadmill.  You can’t smoke two packs of cigarettes a day, and expect clear lungs.  Not gonna happen.  You can’t catch up on your beauty rest all week, every week and expect that promotion.  Not gonna happen.  You can’t be mean and evil all day every day and expect peace, joy, and sweetness to be part of your life.  Not gonna happen.

God just didn’t set things up that way.  God says: I’m giving you a choice: life or death, blessing or curses.  It’s your choice.  You decide.  Choose your path.  Now, your choices have consequences, but you already know that.

And God encourages us to think carefully  . . .  He says: even though I’m giving you the right and the responsibility of making your own choices, I really want you to choose life.  I want you to make decisions that will lead to abundance, and joy, and peace, and health, and prosperity, and love.

Consider the choices you will face today.  What to eat, where to go, who to talk with, where to spend your time.  Then choose life: make decisions that will give you the abundant life God wants you to have.  Eat healthfully.  Be sweet.  Encourage someone.  Call to say “I love you.”  Send some flowers.  Be on time for work.  Take the stairs instead of the elevator.  Let go of bitterness.  Laugh often.  Read more.  Be a friend.  Choose life!

Sunny day versus rainy day . . .  Busy day versus lazy day . . .   Too much traffic versus a clear road . . .  Spending your day with friends versus spending your day in – horror of horror – a work retreat . . .Isn’t is amazing how outside circumstances impact your mood?

The irony is that none of these kinds of things can really change our mood or our outlook on the day, unless we allow it.  God has given us the amazing capacity to control our own emotions, our own actions, and our own reactions.  Which means that we simply have to make a decision  I’m going to have a positive attitude and a positive disposition – And I will not allow anyone or anything – not the weather, not the traffic, not the schedule, nothing – to get in the way of my good day.

That’s the affirmation of the psalmist: “This is the day the Lord has made; I will rejoice and be glad in it.”  He makes an affirmative decision to be glad and find happiness in the day that the Lord has given to him.  He hasn’t seen all that the day will bring, but it doesn’t matter – he’s already decided to make it a good day.  He’s decided that nothing and no one is going to steal his joy that day.  He’s figured out that it’s a question of mind over matter.  If he doesn’t mind, then it won’t matter!

Now, surely there are going to be days that will make you wish you’d just stayed in bed.  And on those days, maintaining a positive attitude can be, umm, difficult.  But I’ll share my secret with you: when “challenged” personalities seem set on destroying my good mood, I repeat the refrain of the psalmist:  “This is the day the Lord has made; I will rejoice and be glad in it.”  In this way, I take back my power, insist on my joy, and affirm the authority God has given me to declare victory and peace in my own life.